• Microsoft will indefinitely extend the life of Windows XP, acknowledging the failure of Windows Vista, which will require another generation of hardware (and another $5 billion in R&D) to finally look good three years from now.
• Not only will Bill Gates be retiring from Microsoft in 2008, CEO Steve Ballmer will, too. No word yet on his successor.
• As part of its transition from a PC company to a consumer electronics and content company, Apple will introduce — and trumpet in a huge media show — its replacement for the mouse. Really.
• Apple will introduce a subnotebook/tablet computer/media player.
• Along the same lines look for OS X to bifurcate clearly into two lines — Mac OS X and plain OS X (for devices like the iPhone) with Apple licensing (non-Mac) OS X to a few companies, including Sony.
• Here’s one that will totally blow your mind: Apple will build into some Macs support for the Windows API, allowing Mac and Windows apps to run side by side with no need for virtualization software except to run Linux.
Cringely looks at his 2007 predictions’ successes and failures and gives many more 2008 predictions, including one that may be the source of the recent “Apple will drop Akamai for Google” rumor, here.
Prediction: Apple will NOT license OS X or Mac OS X.
You heard it here first!
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Those are some bold (and crazy) predictions.
“• As part of its transition from a PC company to a consumer electronics and content company, Apple will introduce — and trumpet in a huge media show — its replacement for the mouse. Really.”
They already did at MWSF last year. They call them fingers.
I’m looking forward to the iBot.
FemBot by Apple.
Once they get that baby working all night on one recharge, it’ll be the end of Man.
I agree about Balmer, been saying it for six months now.
Vista sucks, and he was the guy in charge from day one all the way to the shipping product.
I thought I read those a couple days ago. Anyhow, the prediction that he won’t make any more predictions is bound to come true!
The no-mouse idea could be true if Apple releases a keyboard based on touch technology.
Solid surface, no keys, and user customizable via a keyboard system preferences panel.
The keyboard supports what ever language your system is setup for… no need for a separate language keyboard.
Don’t need a numeric keypad? A select area of the keyboard can be used as either a numeric keypad or a touch pad (goodbye mouse) and you can switch between the two with a touch on a programmed hotspot.
Oh yeah, I’d buy one.
Microsoft is not smart enough to get rid of Ballmer
Given his track record, I’m <sarcasm> SURE </sarcasm> all of these predictions will come true.
CrossOver does a pretty good. So, to say, Wingdong XD running on a MAC without virtualization; I don’t find that mind blowing.
Yet, I love the notion of “Bummer” leaving MacroSloth. Now that would be very wise of them.
The best thing for apple would be if Balmer stayed for a few more years. At least until our market share gets above 25%.
Prediciton: Analysts will continue to get paid for making baseless predictions and idiots like MDN will continue to post them as news.
Apple loves SONY… well Jobs does. If not, maybe he just wants to keep his enemies close-by?
Still, to partner this way could be good… EVEN if I can’t imagine this occurring in my wildest dreams.
Oh my life as a visionary is over.
The headline is just plain wrong, he is predicting licensing of OS X not Mac OS X
I just don’t get all the negative predictions for Microsoft, I mean, Apple just figured out the two-button mouse after copying it from Microsoft. Now this Cringely moron thinks Apple can come up with a revolutionary new device? Where in Apple’s past have they done anything game-changing or interesting? Dork.
And don’t ever put ‘Ballmer’ and ‘retire’ in the same sentence. It makes me and legions of Windows enthusiasts uncomfortable. Microsoft is nothing without Steve Ballmer.
Your potential. Our passion.™
“acknowledging the failure of Windows Vista”
Microsoft admits failure (especially on something that big)?
Not a chance.
Most of that is the same (type of) bullshit we hear every year. Difference between writers and designers is, that latter ones have to face the limits of technology in the final product.
You know, if they didn’t (have to), Jetsons would look sooo “20 years ago”.
Licensing Mac OS X would only work if 1) Apple would get lot of money per PC+OS X sold, 2) they would have the control of what will be released [CrappyHW+Mac OS X = bad ], and 3) Apple would like to change the engine since they are already firing on all cylinders and revving it like F1 V10 (19k rpm). Apple could speed gain 20% OS market share with licensing, but there’s a huge risk that Mac sales would drop. And it would be hard to end the licensing without going to court.
Apple’s gonna replace the mouse? Cringely doesn’t say how, just what. Writers vs. designers.
I would like to see Ballmer dictate every single move that Microsoft makes, ’till he dies. They should also slap a big Microsoft logo on every product they make. As a Mac user, I really like the way things went. OK Windows is crap, but Apple hadn’t bought NeXT, I wouldn’t have a MacBook running Mac OS X. Why the MS logo? So that the rest of the world would learn that MS = crap.
Well, Apple OS X Tiger for PC wil be an huge succes .. HP & Sony ?
The real shame is it will improve Microsoft if Ballmer goes
then again, you cant do much about bad breeding
The Mac OS will never implement the Windows API. Predicting this is beyond stupid.
Ballmer will be forced out…it will be just called retirement
to not give the company any more bad vibes than it already has. How many times can it be said that Apple makes its money on hardware, not software. Apple will NOT licence any form of OS X for any reason. The Windows API might
be feasable for apps in the server market where virtualization is more important, but not in the consumer market.
Yeh, if they’re going to license os x, it’d be a modified version of Tiger….
basically, sony and asus need a new OS
There is as much chance of Apple licensing OS X as there is for the release of the new Apple gadget, the “iShit”, a turd that actually plays music, video, audiobooks but stinks to high heaven.
Oh, wait – Microsoft already beat Apple to the punch on that one.
he he he
fm
So much nonsense, in so few words. Do people really get paid for such “wisdom”?
Ballmer remains one of Microsoft’s largest stockholders – number two, if I’m not mistaken. He’ll leave when he’s good and ready, about the time he realizes his presence hurts his stock’s value.
The bifurcation of OS X is already a reality. The notion that Apple will license even the stripped OS X to its competitors is fantasy.
Daniel Eran has already discredited the notion of Windows API support within OS X. Time to move along.
He’s probably right about XP support. Vista has not been well received. Our agency’s plans to migrate to Vista have been put on indefinite hold.
Hate to say it but the only way Ballmer is out, is if he decides he wants to leave. Fact is, while Vista might be crap, MS sales are at an all time high and they have sold 100 million plus copies of Vista. What that tells shareholders is that Steve is doing ok and that there is a huge potential for increased sales of Vista once SP2 comes out. I’m not a fan at all but to say Ballmer is going to be bumped just sounds like it comes from people who don’t understand economics 101 or basic business principals.
Besides, we’d miss Steve and his comments!